1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to spraying devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for a spray pump device typically used in garden and commercial applications and having an outer housing that incorporates a hand operated pump assembly and a removable integral bladder assembly wherein a first integral bladder assembly for use in spraying a first fluid can be subsequently replaced with a second identical integral bladder assembly for use in spraying a second fluid.
2. Background Art
The prior art is directed to methods and apparatus for spraying devices typically used for garden and commercial applications.
Small tank spray devices are utilized to dispense a wide variety of fluids ranging from, for example, plant food, fertilizers, insecticides and weed killers in garden applications to chemical cleaners and solvents in commercial applications. Spraying devices known in the art typically include separate components such as tank container having a fill port for introducing the liquid to be sprayed, a hose and a nozzle for directing the sprayed liquid, and a hand operated pump mechanism to create air pressure within the tank. The air pressure is applied over the liquid within the tank for driving the liquid through the hose and expelling it from the nozzle.
In the prior art, small tank sprayers must be maintained in a near vertical orientation to operate properly. This is the case since the liquid to be sprayed must be positioned over, i.e., cover, the output port to which the hose is connected in order for the liquid to be expelled and also to prevent the pressurized air within the tank from escaping.
This requirement limits the use of prior art spraying devices.
Further, once the spraying activity has been completed, the unused liquid must be emptied from the tank and thereafter stored or disposed of. Additionally, the interior surfaces of the tank, hose and nozzle must be flushed with an appropriate medium. The effort required to accomplish this task is dependent upon the composition of the liquid previously used in the tank and the composition of liquids to be subsequently used in the tank, i.e., the next application.
Typically, the tank can be comprised of metal or plastic. Notwithstanding, the material used to fashion the tank must be corrosion resistant to avoid rusting since the liquid to be sprayed comes in direct contact with the inner surface of the tank. If the tank is permitted to corrode, the chemical composition of the liquid to be sprayed could be altered and the use of the liquid may be counter-productive. For example, in gardening applications, if the a pesticide or weed killer is previously used in the tank, residual traces of the previously used chemical might be applied to plants and flowers in a subsequent use of the spraying device. This situation would be detrimental to the plants and flowers and could occur even if the tank, hose and nozzle are flushed after the previous use.
Another consideration is the method of disposal of the fluids used in the spraying device. In prior art spraying devices, typically the contents of the tank must be totally used or subsequently disposed of in a separate container employed for storage. Even in spray pump designs known in the prior art that employ a flexible container within the tank and which include the fluid to be sprayed, the flexible container usually is not removable. Thus, all of the fluid, typically a chemical, must be used since there is no provision for removing and storing the flexible container. Further, the method of disposal of the fluid to be sprayed must be considered and must satisfy all local disposal regulations if a negative environmental impact is possible.
Of the spraying devices known in the prior art, a reusable compression sprayer teaches the use of a disposable plastic bag. The separate components include the plastic bag or bladder, a hose and a nozzle which are separate, i.e., discrete, elements. Other examples of spraying devices also include removable and/or replaceable bladders. A further example is a spray device having a bladder that is filled with water and which is employed to apply pressure to chemicals that contact the inner surface of the tank. This design creates a corrosion problem. In yet another example, a spray pump bladder is employed as a pressure regulator to provide a constant spray pressure.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a spray pump apparatus for use in gardening and commercial applications that includes an outer housing that incorporates a hand operated pump assembly and a removable integral bladder assembly that comprises a flexible bladder having a fill port and a cap and which is integrally formed with a perforated stand pipe and hose, feed-through device and nozzle, and wherein a first integral bladder assembly for use in spraying a first fluid can be subsequently replaced with a second identical integral bladder assembly for use in spraying a second fluid without concern for the intermixing of the previously sprayed fluid with the subsequently sprayed fluid.
Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides a new and improved spray pump apparatus typically employed in gardening and commercial applications. Typical examples of such applications can include spraying nutrients in liquid form on plants and flowers or alternately spraying chemicals such as weed killers, or spraying chemical solvents and cleaners on floor surfaces for removing spills, grease and stains.
The spray pump apparatus of the present invention includes a portable device having an outer housing with a generally cylindrical shape. Extending from the top of the outer housing is a handle for actuating a piston of a manual pump assembly. Vertical operation of the handle and piston results in developing a pressure within the outer housing. Located within the outer housing is an integral bladder assembly comprising an integrally formed combination of a flexible bladder, a fill port and a seal cap for containing a fluid to be sprayed, a flexible perforated standpipe positioned within the flexible bladder which becomes an external flexible hose having a spray nozzle attached thereto, and a feed-through device for penetrating a sidewall of the outer housing.
Operation of the handle of the manual pump assembly pressurizes the interior of the outer housing which applies a force to the outer surface of the flexible bladder. The force applied to the flexible bladder causes the liquid within the flexible bladder to enter the perforated standpipe and to charge the external flexible hose. Operation of the spray nozzle releases the liquid in a suitable spray pattern. The pressure within the outer housing can be maintained by operating the handle of the manual pump assembly. The integrally formed combination of the flexible bladder with the fill port and seal cap, flexible perforated standpipe, external flexible hose and spray nozzle, and feed-through device is installed in and removed from the spray pump apparatus as a singular unit.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cylindrical shaped outer housing includes a top portion and a bottom portion. The manual pump assembly is mounted within the top portion of the outer housing. The top portion and the bottom portion of the outer housing each include a flange surface in combination with a tank flange O-ring seal for sealing the outer housing. Further the flange surface associated with the top portion is releaseably connected to the flange surface associated with the bottom portion of the outer housing with a V-band coupling having an over-the-center latch and safety mechanism. The flange surfaces, the O-ring seal and the V-band coupling collectively function to prevent the pressure developed within the interior of the outer housing from bleeding away. A pressure relief valve is positioned within the top portion of the outer housing.
The present invention is generally directed to a spray pump apparatus typically employed in gardening and commercial applications wherein a charged liquid is sprayed in a garden environment or on a floor surface for removing spills, grease or stains. In its most fundamental embodiment, the spray pump apparatus for use in spraying fluids includes an outer housing and a pump assembly in mechanical communication with the outer housing for developing a pressure therein. An integral bladder assembly is mounted within the outer housing and comprises an integrally formed combination of a flexible bladder, a hose and a nozzle. The flexible bladder is subjected to the pressure developed by the pump assembly for expelling a fluid contained within the flexible bladder, wherein the integral bladder assembly is installed in and removed from the outer housing as the integrally formed combination.
In an alternative embodiment, the cylindrical shaped outer housing of the spray pump apparatus of the present invention exhibits a unitary construction. In the alternative embodiment exhibiting the unitary construction, the outer housing includes a top portal having threads formed on the outer surface thereof. The pump assembly is in mechanical communication with the threaded top portal for developing a pressure within the outer housing. The construction and operation of the integral bladder assembly is duplicate to that described with respect to the preferred embodiment, i.e., the components of the integral bladder assembly are installed in and removed from the outer housing as an integral unit. A threaded closure is provided for sealing the threaded top portal. Finally, a pressure relief valve is positioned within the outer housing adjacent to the threaded top portal.